Summer Solstice Show

Our Dear Star photo by Susa

Two women sat by the edge of the water the evening of Summer Solstice and watched, as this longest day came to its close. The ball of fire descended behind the mountains and the slow show of change unfolded before them. Sitting in camp chairs with Lake Chapala at their very feet seemed a good slow way of unfolding to one another as well, for they were new friends, curious to learn about one another. Not trying to get to know each other in the midst of a group lunch, ordering and eating and listening and trying to participate in several ongoing conversations at once. These two simply sat, gradually quieted by the transformation of light, separate concerns washed away by the sound of lapping water.

Their easy sharing was at first punctuated by exclamations over boat-billed herons perched on posts in the water, over patterns in the clouds, over the horse galloping by on the beach, over the latest color reflected in the lake. As the beauty of the Solstice sunset extravaganza increased, pauses of astonishment entered their conversation. Between the two who, as writers and as Geminis, were smitten with the word and each accustomed to verbal hijinks, a toleration of silence grew.

Two new to one another, plus the setting of Summer Solstice on the lake, which seemed to be another entity, as if they were three. The offering of the evening itself companioned and tempered their conversation. Not so much muting it as deepening it, from the level of language down to a dialogue of soul. One woman lit sage and smudged herself free of everything but that light, asking the herb and the light to cleanse everything that went before, to bring her fully present to the sun’s performance taking place before her eyes. The other took up the smoking sage and danced with it into the shallows, calling out her own intentions and soul desires.

This was no ordinary evening, no everyday act of nature. This was Summer Solstice herself reciting an extraordinary poem! The earthlings, aware of having the best seats in the house, each felt enormously grateful for being invited to the celebration. For the poem delivered to them by Summer Solstice was one of healing, as all the best poems are. With its melody, with its rhythm, with its cadence, the poem of Summer Solstice sang two who were strangers into friendship.

Solstice on Lake Chapala photo by Susa